North Country At Work

The “preacher-trapper” Roy C. Johnson, so-called because those were his two jobs, posing with the pelts of foxes he trapped. Circa 1960. Morristown, NY. Courtesy of Dave Johnson.

Roy C. Johnson, who was known as the “preacher-trapper” because those were his two occupations, posing in front of a rack of pelts he trapped. Included are fox, coyote, raccoon, mink, and muskrat. Early 1970s. Philadelphia, NY. Courtesy of Dave Johnson.

Roy Johnson, who made his living as both a preacher and a trapper, displaying a rare red coyote pelt outside the First Congregational Church. Mid-1960s. Morristown, NY. Courtesy of Dave Johnson.

Roy Johnson, who made his living as both a preacher and a trapper. He’s pictured with the pelts of 768 muskrats and one otter behind the house where the preachers lived. 1968. Morristown, NY. Courtesy of Dave Johnson.

Pictured is Jack Houghton taking a fish off the line. Houghton was a fishing guide in his later life, and was a part of the fishing guide association in town. Early 1970s. Alexandria Bay, NY. Courtesy of Linda Dingman.

Margaret Houghton standing next to a line of sturgeon caught in the St. Lawrence River. Circa 1940. Alexandria Bay, NY. Courtesy of Linda Dingman. Margaret and Cecil Houghton were married in the 1920s, and spent their lives living on the St. Lawrence River. Their granddaughter, Linda Dingman, says her grandfather was a true “river rat”. […]

Romaine Wenborne, a fishing guide and barber, displaying a 102-pound sturgeon. Date 1900-1910. Cape Vincent, NY. Originally published in the Thousand Islands Sun. Courtesy of Linda Dingman.

Ernie Mance, Jr. holding a large sturgeon he had just caught on the St. Lawrence River. Mance owned a marina called Mance Marine Basin, tore down buildings while the seaway was being built , and fished sturgeon for years, until they stopped issuing licenses for them in the mid-1970s. Circa 1970. Alexandria Bay, NY. Courtesy of Ernie […]

Pat Comstock was born in 1875. By the time he was in his thirties, he was already a boat captain, became yacht captain for the Clark family, and eventually captained boat tours around the bay. Eventually, his son and grandsons would go on to work for the same boat line. John Comstock, Pat’s grandson, remembers […]

Robert Charron’s first job was at Camp Figure of the Woods, which was a Boy Scout camp in St. Lawrence County, near Parishville. When he was about 14, Charron worked in the trading post and had duties similar to a counselor. On Wednesdays, the camp’s mess hall would close for the night and they would take […]